Okoth Otieno

August 15, 1978 – April 4, 2023

Okoth Otieno Jowi – known simply to his friends and family as Okoth or ‘DJ O’, was born in Buffalo New York on 16th August 1978. At the time his parents Dr Otieno Jowi and Grace Otieno, both Kenyans, were pursuing further studies in the US. In the next year Okoth and his parents and older siblings moved back to Kenya where he spent the rest of his childhood. He was the 5th of six children – Esther, Daniel, Mark, Caroline and the late Sheila (Toti). He was a doting father of 3 beautiful daughters Candace, Sheila and Destiny whom he had with his ex-wife Daisy.

Okoth studied in various schools in Kenya and at the end of his high school days he opted to join the workforce immediately before leaving with his sister Carol for the US in 2001. He lived with his Uncle ‘OtiAti, Aunty Rose and cousins Edwin and Sarah and embraced them more like his immediate family than an extended family.

In the US he worked in various retail positions until he landed a job at UNC Hospital, where he worked diligently until 2022. He was forced to leave his job due to illness and moved to Oregon to live with his mother as he recuperated.

After a turbulent couple of years in his life, Okoth had finally gotten healthier and enrolled in a Pharmacy tech course January 2003. He had planned to complete this course so he could move back to North Carolina to be closer to his children and to return to work for his former employer at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill. Sadly, this plan was cut short on 4th April 2023. His mother found him unresponsive in his room and called paramedics. After an intense struggle to resuscitate him, he was ultimately pronounced deceased from an unknown cause. He was 43 years old at the time of his death.

Okoth was an outgoing, sociable person who loved seeing people happy and hated confrontation. He made friends easily and to those who mattered in his life he was the most loyal and trusting friend one could ask for. He loved music and dancing and was the life of many social gatherings.

He leaves behind a devastated family, including his daughters, parents, 4 surviving siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. He also leaves behind a community of friends-turned-family in North Carolina, Oregon and Kenya who are crushed by his early departure.

Okoth was raised Christian and professed a faith in Christ, which, despite the challenges and turbulence he experienced in his personal life, he never let go of. One of his last posts on Facebook, barely 3 hours before his death, was a snippet from the song ‘Goodness of God’ which simply said “I love You Lord, for Your mercy never failed me. All my days I’ve been held in Your hands”.

We leave Okoth in those very Hands of God and can only pray for peace for the ones he has left behind.

Services will be private.  Please feel free to leave the family a tribute or message of condolence by clicking on the “Tribute” tab above.